two straight lines

For Halloween Lucie was Ponyo, the half girl/half fish character from Hayao Miyazaki's film that was released in the US this summer.  The story is loosely based on fairy tale The Little Mermaid.  Throughout the movie, Ponyo wears a short red dress and is barefoot, so I had to take some liberties with a costume to be worn in Michigan in October.  I found nude colored tights and pale shoes for her, and I made her a red woolen cape that is lined with Cake Rock Beach fabric.  After the photos were taken, I added a long sleeved cream colored shirt under her dress.

The cape is from the same pattern that I used to make Elliot's cape and the ones for his classmates a few years ago.  I've mentioned before that it is from an old issue of Ottobre (4/2004), and although I've received a lot of questions about it, I'm unable to share any details of the pattern on my blog. 

I bought the dress for a few dollars on Ebay, and it came with a really ugly polka dot sash with bow and giant sparkly button on it.  I replaced that with some beautiful green variegated yarn I had on hand as a "seaweed" sash.

There is also a green bucket throughout the movie; at times when Ponyo is a fish, she is in the bucket, and later she carries it.  I had this green bucket already, but I filled it slightly with solid fabric, and some additional yarn, and I used a glue gun to keep all of that inside the bucket, as well as to attach several sea creatures that normally reside in our water table.

I made her bloomers out of cream colored fabric I had on hand, and they were a bit of a pain to sew, most likely because I started them at 11PM on Thursday night.  I don't have the pattern handy, and wouldn't recommend it anyway.  Either the directions were terrible, or I was really tired.

I love this costume so much, and Lucie really seemed to enjoy playing dress up.  She was pretty thrilled that we could go door to door in our neighborhood and have people give us candy.  She insisted on being carried from house to house, but would demand to be put down when we got about 20 feet from a front door.  It was such a great night with the kids, seeing the magic through their eyes.

More crazy cuteness at flickr.  (click through from my sidebar, for some reason I can't get a link to work right now)

from Mi Bandito to yours. 

I tried to get some good shots of Elliot in costume, but it was all silliness, which I suppose can be expected of a 5 year old.  He is going as a Bandito this year, and because his class is learning all about zero (and he has a mild obsession with Zero the Hero who visits his classroom), we decided to call him Zero rather than Zorro.  You can see a zero on his cummerbund as well as the fabric lining his cape (Michael Miller's Clown Donuts is the print).  I used a remnant of black ultrasuede for Elliot's eye mask and sash, and it worked so beautifully.  It's really fun to work with.   I briefly considered Bedazzling his sash, but decided to use metallic puff paint instead which worked great, and was super fast.

 

I had so much fun making my kids costumes this year and only had a little bit of cursing making Lucie's bloomers for her Ponyo costume.  I'll try and post photos of hers later, but right now she is napping and a tiny bit under the weather.

Hope all of you who celebrate Halloween have a fun, safe & dry holiday!

Just wanted to pop in very quickly and show you my finished goody bags.  This is the first project I've done using the Reprodepot Pattern books I mentioned a few weeks ago.  This is pattern 54B from the Folk Book used in conjunction with the labels that I am offering free on my site.  Also, be sure to pop over to the Reprodepot blog, where they're offering three Halloween specific patterns that would also work nicely for this project.  These labels are stapled over cellophane bags that are 5" wide.

OK, back to costume making...

I'm putting together Kindergarten goody bags over here, and thought I'd share the labels I made for the occasion.  Enjoy! (download below the image)

Download halloweenlabel

I bought this bookshelf for $15 at a garage sale early last summer.  It's a sturdy old girl, and from what I can tell it was used to store cans of paint in someone's garage, or perhaps basement?  It has raised rings where the cans stood, and after I painted it black- two coats, after two coats of teal- I sanded it to reveal them.  I like the idea that it stored someone else's paint, as much as I love to paint myself. (before shot here)

I put it into place in my living room on Monday, and went up to the attic storage room to gather some things to place on it.  That, of course, was the fun part of the project.  Now I need to decide what will hang above it.  Some possibilities-- a linen pin board criss-crossed with ribbon to display snapshots and cards from friends?  A set of black and white botanicals I have yet to use?  Who knows.  First I need to remove the photos of fake people from the front of my Kolo boxes.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll pan out to show you our table littered with my husband's expense receipts and work bag.  See that old bowl on there?  That was my father-in-law's gold pan, as in "panning for gold."  He's a native of San Francisco.

And another view, the armoire where we keep the family's games and some throw blankets-- formerly the hiding spot of the television.

I loved finding this little scene set up by Elliot last night.  Apparently his chalkboard paint covered radiator cover became "craters" for his martians.  There were other little scenes throughout the room, mostly of planets, including one that he "discovered" marked with a little flag.  It's fun to create something for your kids, and then see what they make from it, or even if they find it interesting at all.  Painting the radiator cover with chalkboard paint was sort of an afterthought for me, but he has really taken to it.  Maybe because its just the perfect height?  Unfortunately, it's impossible to plan these things.  It's sort of like buying your kids toys, you never know which ones they'll take to.

Speaking of toys, this is an embarrassing scene (so! many! stuffed! animals!), but I've been meaning to share it with you for a while now.  Both of my kids are lucky enough to have two closets in their rooms, one generously sized, and one smaller one with a sloped ceiling that is tucked into the eaves of the house.  I was having trouble containing Elliot's collection of stuffed animals and then I remembered these shoe and sweater bags that we had in the master bedroom closet of our old house.  We have shoe and sweater storage here, so these were just sitting in a pile in the attic.  I hung them up, and stuffed all the little animals in here, and it's been a great solution.  No more dumping out baskets of animals just to find the one he wants on the very bottom.  I'll make a slight excuse for the excess of animals by saying that Elliot plays with them constantly.  He can rarely be found not toting one of beloved stuffies.

I've shown this before, but this is how we store the dolls and stuffed animals in Lucie's room.  It's a vintage bassinet that I picked up at a thrift store last winter.  This one is more aesthetically appealing (and less embarrassing) than Elliot's, of course.

PS- I wanted to point out that we have hot water radiators, not steam, so they don't get too hot.  Ohdeedoh showed Elliot's radiator cover last week and someone mentioned that radiators can be dangerous.  Please don't make a "toy" out of your radiator covers unless they are safe to touch, as ours are.

We've been cozying in over here, as fall is fully upon us.  There's even s-n-o-w in the forecast for this weekend, which seems totally insane, so I'm just going to ignore it.  I've been thinking a lot about this time last year, right before we packed our family up and moved into temporary housing here and started Elliot in his new school--  all the hope we had that we were making the right decision.  Now, one year later, I can't imagine that we haven't always lived here and I feel like I've come home.  And the people, the PEOPLE!  I find smart and interesting people at every turn.  I'm so happy and connected to our community.  These things don't all come easily for me, which makes it even more amazing.

OK, on to business-- I usually don't do round-ups, but there are a few things I'm loving right now.  First of all, everyone I know is talking about and/or making soup right now.  I made Cream of Broccoli this week and it was delicious, and cheap too considering I used leftover broccoli that we normally would just let rot in our fridge, so I felt super frugal doing that.  My best friend Alicia swears this Butternut Bisque is the best soup ever, so that may be next on my list.

Since the popularity of garlands doesn't appear to be waning, I thought I'd point you towards this acorn garland by the supremely talented Amy Atlas. I thought I'd make one using my new Reprodepot Pattern Books, which are amazing (that's a link to the Flora one, but don't miss the Folk one).  I'm justifying their expense by saying that I will incorporate them into every project I make in the next year, which would not be hard to do.  And also on the book front, Poppy Treffry has a new book out which is wonderful and makes me want to applique every thing in sight.

And a few more things, this time about me-- my second craft for B:Kids will be up today, so get on over there and check that out.  It's a new no-sew project inspired by monsters--both from Halloween and the upcoming release of the film version of Where the Wild Things Are (can't wait!). 

Also, some of you who have been around here for a while might remember that a few years back I offered some leaf prints as a free download from lulu.com (281 people downloaded them!).  I received some requests in the past about whether or not those could be used on products (fabric, rubber stamps, papers) that were for sale and I've decided that this fall I will make them for sale ($12 for all 18 individual leaf prints), which would grant the buyers rights to use them for profit.  They can be downloaded here.  They could also be used in making decorations or gifts for the upcoming holidays.  If you click here and scroll to the second photo, you can see what they all look like printed out. 

Have fun making soup, visiting apple orchards, or whatever your weekend may hold.

XO Courtney

Oh!  I almost forgot!  I'm auctioning some of my kids' outerwear on Ebay, right here.  Check out that Wintergreen boys 2T/3T coat, it's really nice and I don't think it will be a well known brand on Ebay.

I always hate starting a post with an apology (almost as much as I hate reading them)-- but here I am again apologizing for this long and unexpected absence.  I was so proud of myself for posting weekly throughout the summer, and just when I was about to reach the end of it, I up and deserted this spot.

We packed a lot into the last weeks of summer--  I made three trips to Indianapolis, first to see my ailing Grandmother, again for her funeral, and back for a whirlwind trip to see a family member having some tough times. We visited two zoos, the Indianapolis Children's museum, some towns along lake Michigan, and made a few trips to Ann Arbor, all while readying Elliot for Kindergarten.  I did some thrifting, consigned (bought and sold) some of my kids clothes, and painted the largest room in my house.  And my husband took several business trips in there too.  Wow, just reading all of that makes me exhausted!  It's no wonder that after the first week of school I nearly collapsed from exhaustion and missed my family reunion.

Last week, I produced my first craft for my new guest spot at B:Kids, one of my favorite blogs for and about kids.  It should be up this Friday, so please check it out.  It's a fun back-to-school craft that your kids could do with your help, or you could even do as a little gift to them.

This week I've managed little more than painting Elliot's radiator cover with chalkboard paint, something I think could make every room a bit nicer.  I've been painting things with it since way before I had kids (if you live at 6 Dwight Street in Boston's South End, you may have my first chalkboard paint project) and I'm crazy for the stuff. 

Every radiator in our home has a cover, but for some reason the one for Elliot's room was in the basement and in tough shape, so this week I painted it up and we're quite pleased with it.  The finish matches perfectly with his steel Parson's bed.  It inspired some bedtime doodling last night complete with a quick game of tic-tac-toe between Elliot and Scott.   (shhh...Elliot won)

Next on my list?  I'm going to paint a bookshelf from a garage sale and a table from a thrift store.  I will post when these projects are completed.  What are you filling your extra time with for those of you whose little ones have gone back to school?

I'm finally getting a chance to join in on Molly Irwin's Thrifty Thursday, sharing some favorite thrifting finds.  I've mentioned before that the thrifting gods have been good to me lately.  Well, they have been really good, and I can't wait to show you some of my recent scores.

Recently, I found myself wanting a few new pieces for our master bath.  Nothing I had seemed just right.  It's a small bathroom, barely fitting a double vanity, toilet and shower stall in the tidy little space.  The former owners did a great job making it look like it's always been there with vintage-y cream colored cabinetry and hex tile on the floor.  It reminds me of a hotel bathroom, with fittings I wouldn't choose (brass faucets and green marble) but actually enjoy using.

So, on a recent thrifting trip I happened upon this bird print in a wood grain frame and a faux bois planter (both on the same trip, I think) I knew they would be just the thing to make this little bathroom feel like home.  I planted two tiny plants in the planter (baby's tears), placed it on the back of the toilet, and now I love the little jewel box of a space even more.  I'm sure down the road I will paint the bathroom, but for now I'll enjoy it just as it is. 

 

Happy Thrifting! 

More detailed photo of the bird print here.

I have a long-standing love affair with paint-- the kind you put on the walls of your house, not on a canvas.  For the greater part of the last ten years, during which we've owned five different houses, I have been picking out paint, dreaming about paint, or actually painting.  Even here on my blog, questions about paint would top any FAQ list I would compile. 

I believe in buying top quality paint.  After all, the labor is the biggest expense when painting.  Even if you're doing it yourself, your time is worth a lot more than the price of a few gallons of paint.  Prepping, painting and clean-up adds up to many hours of work no matter the size of the room.  In the past I have used brands such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and Valspar (which is often a top pick by Consumer Reports).  In recent years we have been careful to choose low-VOC varieties which are safer for the environment, and even more important to me, safer for my family. 

One thing I didn't realize is that when companies label their paints as low-VOC, they are most often referring to the base, the can of un-tinted paint that they pull off of the shelf.  But, a lot of the VOC's are added during the tinting process, so the paint you end up with may not actually be low-VOC after all.

For the past few years, I have had my eye on the specialty paint company called Mythic Paint.  I must admit that their well-designed ads and packaging were the first things that caught my eye.  But, when I read about the company, their message, and most importantly their products, I was even more charmed.  Unlike many "environmentally friendly" paints that you will find on the market, Mythic Paint has no VOC's, yet they are still able to produce incredibly durable paints that come in a full range of colors and finishes.  While doing some online research, I found that Mythic was in fact the top rated no-VOC paint.

Recently I got the chance to try out the Mythic Paint products.  Yes, Mythic shipped me 2 gallons of eggshell paint in the color of my choice (Westie White) to try.  The verdict?  The paint was thick and creamy and rolled on beautifully.  I needed to reload my roller often, which if you have painted a room, you know is a good thing.  It means the paint is going on in nice thick coats which equals less work.  I personally am of the school that every room in every paint color requires two coats of paint.  It just looks better and is worth the effort.  But, this paint is as close to a one coat paint as I've ever encountered. 

And the most important part, the smell was barely noticable.  I didn't have to worry about keeping my children away from the odors.  In fact, the windows in our dining room don't have screens so were closed during the whole process.  I only had to open the nearby bathroom window to take care of the very low odor that there was.  My kids, especially Elliot, are very sensitive to chemicals and it made me feel a lot better that I wasn't harming him in any way by using this paint.

If you decide to take on a painting project in the near future, I highly recommend giving Mythic Paint a try.  Nothing makes a more dramatic change, for fewer dollars, than a coat of paint, and you'll breath easier (couldn't help it) knowing the health of your family is not being compromised by the products your using.  It's just a bonus that Mythic is just as durable and beautiful as conventional paint products.

You can find a local source for Mythic Paint here, and if it isn't carried anywhere in your area, you can order it from Mythic directly and the shipping is included in the price.

My post about painting my dining room is here, and there are additional photos on my flickr page.